In the field of shipping and freight handling, it is common practice to employ sophisticated protective packaging for fragile articles such as electronic components and the like. Such articles often must be protected not only from shock and impact, but also from static electricity, dust, moisture, and other contaminants. As a result, the shipping containers used for delicate electronic articles are often well designed, thoroughly engineered enclosures. These enclosures, which are generally very successful at protecting their contents, represent a significant expenditure in materials as well as in design effort.
When such a shipping container reaches its destination, it is a common practice for the components to be removed and tested to assure that they survived their journey unscathed. The shipping container, often comprising combinations of wooden supports, corrugated enclosures, and foam packing members, are usually considered refuse and destroyed. Hence a significant expenditure in materials and design is wasted after a minimal use. Indeed, it is not uncommon for the cost of packaging of an item to exceed the value of the item, even though the packaging is destroyed and the item is intended for long-term use.
The following United States Patents comprise the closest known prior art: U.S. Pat. Nos. 327,749, 1,385,094, 652,784, 1,501,440, 722,286, 2,213,985, 909,091, 2,604,959.